


Sweet Poison

by barrisscoffees



Series: Harlivy Week 2020 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Harleen (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, abuse tw, harlivy - Freeform, harlivy week 2020, if it does pls tell me ya girls a dumbass, why doesnt harleen have its own fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:00:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25869313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barrisscoffees/pseuds/barrisscoffees
Summary: Harley doesn't have many places to go when she needs help. Well, more like zero. Okay, maybe one.
Relationships: Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel
Series: Harlivy Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874503
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Sweet Poison

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Harlivy Week! Day 3 - Comics. Thanks again to Diana for arranging this

It wasn’t like Harley and Harleen were two different personalities. At first Harley Quinn was just a front Harleen built to cope. She was in a constant state of dissociation. But the longer she stayed like that, the more lines between Harley and Harleen began to blur. That didn’t mean Harley listened to the rational part of her mind that told her Jay was dangerous.

The first time he hit her, she came to her senses momentarily. He didn’t even hit her too hard, but sprawled on the cold, concrete floor, head spinning, it occurred to her that she was no safer from his fits of rage than anyone else. Jay’s angry ranting hurt her ears, and Harley curled into a ball to cover her ears, to protect herself, but then Jay was on the floor with her, holding her and apologizing. He would never apologize to someone else, and Harley remembered he loved her. She smiled up at him and when she smiled back, she knew she was special. Still, no matter what, part of her was screaming to leave before it was too late.

It was too late. Harley was lucky she didn’t die. Not that Jay would care if she did, Harley’s life was worth the price of his freedom, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she agreed. But Harley’s head was clear now – blunt force trauma will do that. Harley had managed to wrap her ankle, though without crutches she was sure every step was doing permanent damage. Goodbye gymnastics, Harley thought, mouth twisting into a smile.

The cowl was doing a decent job as a sling, but Harley only had so long until she passed out from the pain and she would be damned before she allowed herself to be caught and shipped back to Arkham.

Harley had burned every bridge she had when she ran away with Jay. No one to turn to, nowhere to go. Exactly where an abuser would want her, Harley thought bitterly. Well, almost no one. It was a long shot, but the greenhouse was close and Ivy was the only person Harley knew who would risk taking her in. Jay feared her, and she knew it.

As she grew closer to the edge of town, where she knew Ivy went to lay low, the denser the foliage became. It was beautiful. Harley had always been a city girl, so she didn’t recognize half the species that were growing. Moss squished beneath her feet. Vines curled around tree trunks three times as wide Harley. Pale pink flowers the size of Harley’s thumb-nail littered the vines, almost imperceptible at night. Dark purple blooms peeked out from the dense ivy that lined her path. Night Blooming jasmine, almost consuming the rusted fence to her left, had the air feeling so heavy Harley knew if she relaxed in the slightest bit she would fall asleep. Distantly, she thought of poppy fields and  _ The Wizard of Oz _ . She loved that movie as a kid. There was something about the colors and the inflection of Judy Garland’s voice. Pain kept her awake now. Harley had to keep moving, though her destination was unclear.

“What are you doing here?”

Harley flinched violently at the sudden shattering of the oppressive silence. She looked up and there was Ivy, glowing faintly. She frowned down at Harley, though it was not unkind.

“Dr. Isley, hi.” Harley managed.

“It’s Ivy,  _ Dr. Quinzel _ .” Ivy said. Touche, Harley thought. “I’ll ask again, what are you doing here?” Harley swiped her left hand on her forehead, makeup smearing from the blood and sweat.

“Ivy… I’m sorry I had nowhere else to go. Jay, he-” Harley couldn’t manage to finish the sentence, but apparently she didn’t need to. Ivy was already enraged.

“He did this to you?” Harley should have known better. She knew Ivy’s history, the backstory to her particular enmity towards men. Ivy looked ready to kill and Harley had no doubt she would.

“Don’t hurt him, please.” Harley’s voice was hardly a whisper, the words all but lost in the anechoic forest. Ivy eyed her skeptically, but allowed the plea to go unanswered.

“Sleep, Harley, you’ll feel better in the morning.”

Harley wanted to protest, but something in the way Ivy spoke, how she smelled like sandalwood and lavender and grapefruit convinced Harley there was no need. As she drifted off, Harley could feel vines sprout from the ground to cradle her, carrying her to safety. Safety. When was the last time Harley had felt safe?

///

It was the break of dawn when Harley awoke. Ivy was standing over her, her red hair tickling Harley’s face. She sneezed and Ivy laughed. Ivy had a beautiful laugh – smooth and genuine, nothing like the cracked and manic sound hers had become. Harley smiled. Ivy really was beautiful – and that was not Ivy’s pheromones talking.

“Sit up, Harley. I have something that will help you heal.” Ivy sat back as Harley struggled to right herself with only one good arm. After a moment, Ivy wrapped her warm hands around Harley’s elbow and guided her into a sitting position, turning her so that her legs dangled from the bed.

Ivy had stripped her down to an undershirt and underwear, not that Harley minded. Her jester costume was soaked in blood and shredded beyond repair. At this point, Harley finally processed the extent of her injuries. Her whole right side was covered in scrapes where she had hit the road and in addition to her fractured ankle and likely broken arm and likely broken arm, a purple and green bruise wrapped around her torso. Her ribs were bruised at best and fractured at worst. Harley groaned.

“I know, it looks bad, but I promise I will make you feel better. But first,” Ivy showed Harley a syringe. Harley flinched. “I’m not going to hurt you. I cooked this up just for you. You won’t last long around me without it.”

“Immunity.” Harley blurted. Ivy’s serious expression melted into a crooked smile.

“Yes. I knew I liked you for a reason, Dr. Quinzel.” Harley met Ivy’s gaze, and nudged her with her arm. It was a risky move, but Ivy didn’t seem to mind. She lifted the syringe again and waved it in front of Harley; Harley nodded.

Ivy injected the serum at the crook of Harley’s elbow, cradling Harley’s arm in her hand. It burned as it went in, but the feeling subsided quickly. When she removed the syringe, Ivy’s hand lingered, her thumb caressing the spot where the needle went. Harley was transfixed by her steady gaze. Ivy was beautiful; Harley had always known, of course, she wasn’t  _ blind _ , but seeing Ivy like this, slouched and eyes unguarded, weak sunlight trickling and leaving patterns like leaves on her face… Ivy was more than beautiful. She was beautiful in a way that words failed to capture. She was the wonder and power of nature personified. Gaea manifested.

Harley coughed and averted her gaze.

“There,” Ivy said. “That will keep you safe around me. You should also be stronger and faster. Potentially heal you faster and help you age slower too.” Ivy began to back out of the room. “I have a salve for your ankle, arm, and ribs, I’ll be back.” And not a moment later, Harley was alone again.

She leaned into the pillows staying as upright as she could, and examined the room for the first time. It was sparse, only really a nightstand and the bed, though vines wiggled through every crack in the walls. Harley realized after a moment, that Ivy had no reason to have a guest bedroom. This was Ivy’s bed then… it was odd, Harley never really thought of Ivy having to sleep, but the bed was nice enough. Large and soft, but not so soft Harley sank into it. She ran her fingers along the edge of the comforter only to realize it was some sort of moss.

“Nice, isn’t it.” Ivy smiled from the doorway. Harley righted herself, successfully this time.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take your bed.” Ivy waved her hand dismissively. 

“I don’t sleep very often anyways.” She was carrying a recycled tub with an opaque off-white substance. When Harley looked carefully, she could see green matter suspended throughout. In her other hand, Ivy had what looked like a leafy ACE bandage. “Here.” She said and quickly made her way to Harley’s side.

She coated and wrapped Harley’s arm with little incident. Harley’s ankle was slightly more awkward, there was no way Harley could lean over or use her arm to wrap her ankle, so Ivy had to kneel next to her with Harley’s leg propped on her knee. Harley felt oddly like a princess, but instead of a glass slipper, Ivy was giving her a cast. Ivy seemed to be avoiding Harley’s eyes on purpose.

Ivy moved to spread the salve on Harley’s ribs; she had Harley lift her cotton undershirt. She spread the salve along Harley’s ribs. Her fingers were slim and soft, and Harley wondered whether Ivy’s unique biology kept them callus free. Ivy’s hand lingered longer than necessary, still running her fingers along Harley’s side long after the salve had been absorbed into Harley’s skin. Harley stared. Ivy’s eyes finally met Harley as her fingers drifted higher. Despite the warmth of Ivy’s skin on hers, Harley felt goosebumps rise in the wake of Ivy’s touch. Harley leaned in and Ivy did not move back.

///

The sun was dipping below the horizon when Harley finally woke again. Orange light set fire to the tangled mess of red hair beside Harley. She moved slowly, anticipating pain, but to her surprise, she had already mostly healed. Harley peeled off the wraps on her arm and ankle.

Ivy was spread on her stomach snoring quietly. It was so undignified for someone like Ivy that Harley couldn’t help but giggle. When the laugh bubbled from her lips, Harley’s heart dropped. Jay must be so worried, not knowing if she survived or arrested or what. Her gaze dropped back down to Ivy still sleeping. Harley ran her thumb along Ivy’s spine; Ivy shivered. She wanted to stay, but she needed to go. Jay needed her. Maybe thinking she had died would make him understand how important interpersonal relationships were.

She got out of the bed and quietly as she could. Ivy had evidently gotten her a change of clothes some time before she woke up because there was a loose pair of slacks and a red undershirt folded over a wooden chair. She pulled them on and went in search of paper to write a note on. Unsurprisingly, Ivy was not the type to keep paper lying around – dead trees and the like, Harley figured. But she did have schematics of a building on a desk in the corner. A work station.

Harley grabbed a pen and started to write:

_ Red, _

_ Thank you for everything. I truly appreciate it, but Jay needs me. I hope I can see you soon. _

_ Harley _

Harley paused and circled an entrance on the west side of the building with a smile.

_ The guy on night shift Wednesday through Thursday always falls asleep on the job. _

Harley added a little heart before she could think better. She wanted to stay. She wished she could stay, but Ivy was the wrong fairytale. Harley was the girl in the red cloak and Jay was the wolf that stalked her at night. Harley knew how that story ended, but still it drew her in. She would save Jay – fix him – even if he consumed her in the process.

Harley ran her fingers over the plans one more time before retreating into the darkness that lay outside the house.

**Author's Note:**

> Two days of fluff in a row I think some pain was over due.
> 
> ANYWAYS, Stjepan Šejić please write Isley and then give us harlivy
> 
> Special shout out to Edith, I would never have the confidence to post if it were not for you. Ily!!
> 
> Follow me on [tumblr](https://barrisscoffees.tumblr.com/)!


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